Developing Our Area’s Talent

Ensuring Opportunities for All 

Local businesses grow and prosper when their people have the right skills. We offer a range of training solutions to empower your workforce, including: 

• Customized training programs 
• High-quality microcredentials 
• Convenient diplomas, certificates & degrees 

Customized Training in Action: Carver Pump 

The Dilemma 

Carver Pump, a Muscatine-based manufacturer, relies on a skilled workforce to design and produce its specialized pumps. But about 20 years ago, they faced a challenge—finding qualified welders and machinists became nearly impossible. Without these skilled workers, Carver's growth and productivity were at risk. 

The Solutions 

Carver Pump partnered with EICC to build a reliable workforce. Through the Iowa Jobs Training (260F) and Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training (260E) programs, Carver was able to reskill existing employees and train new hires. 

• 260F provides state-funded forgivable loans for workforce training, requiring only a 30% company match. In fiscal 2024 alone, EICC helped 17 companies train 266 workers. 
• 260E supports expanding businesses by covering training costs for new employees, repaid through state payroll taxes. In fiscal 2024, EICC trained 251 new workers for seven area companies. 
• Registered apprenticeships allow employees to gain hands-on experience while earning a nationally recognized credential. 

“EICC began helping us fill our workforce pipeline through welder and machinist apprenticeship programs,” said Carver’s COO, Mark Post. Today, over 45% of its production workforce are graduates of EICC’s programs.

The Results 

The partnership with EICC has strengthened Carver Pump’s workforce. Employees like Gabe Bender, a precision machinist, have seen the benefits firsthand. “When you take people and educate them, you are doing something good for the community and giving them purpose,” he said. 

Post noted the long-term impact: “These programs are instrumental in meeting our staffing needs.” 

Customized Training in Action: Tyson Foods 

The Dilemma 

In spring 2016, managers at Tyson Foods faced a labor shortage. 

They were unable to find skilled industrial maintenance technicians, the vital workers who keep the plant going. 

The company reached out to EICC for help. College officials proposed upskilling the current employees with a customized training program. 

The Solutions 

A nine-month, 580-hour training program was launched later that year. Now in its sixth year, the program — administered through Muscatine Community College takes Tyson’s unskilled workers and trains them in industrial maintenance technology. 

Workers go to class in the mornings and work at the plant in the afternoons. They agree to work for Tyson for two years and earn wages that are more than double the average per capita income for their areas. 

The Results 

Tyson officials are thrilled with the success of their customized training program, noting they’ve been able to build a skilled workforce of local employees. 

The program boasts high graduation rates. Plus, employees are eligible for promotions and higher pay upon completion. 

The company also donates $15,000 a year to EICC’s workforce training efforts. In 2020, it also donated several pieces of hydraulic and mechanical training equipment. 

“We are proud to have invested with EICC, in funding and equipment, to drive technical education,” said Brent McElroy, a Tyson plant manager. 

Customized Training in Action: Sterilite 

The Dilemma 

In 2016, officials from Sterilite, the largest plastic housewares manufacturer in North America, decided to open a new production facility in Davenport, Iowa. 

The company bought land and started work on the facility, which would eventually house up to 500 employees. The recently-hired plant manager was given the monumental task of recruiting workers capable of tasks ranging from human resources to plastics injection. 

Such an undertaking requires a lot of training — and quick thinking. Plant manager, Richard Klim, turned to EICC, and its knowledge of state-funded training programs, for help. 

The Solutions 

EICC talked to Klim about the state’s job training programs, which are administered through community colleges. The conversation was the beginning of a great relationship.

EICC helped train Klim’s new employees by building a smaller version of the plant’s plastic injection machine at EICC's Blong Technology Center. A training schedule was created for Sterilite’s new employees, and the process began. Additional classes were later added. Now, new hires complete a variety of classes, such as online plastics training and forklift operation, at the technology center. 

The Results 

Sterilite’s Davenport startup process ramped up, and the plant opened in 2018. 

“The college district’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to our training needs has been invaluable,” Klim said. 

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